Continuous operation motor tilt control mechanism



' Sept. 23, 1969 A. F. WINTERCORN CONTINUOUS OPERATION MOTOR TILT CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Oct- 9, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR ANDREW E W/NTERC R/V P 23, 1969 A. F. WINTERCORN I 3,468,282

CONTINUOUS OPERATION MOTOR TILT CONTRQL MECHANISM Filed 06?,- 9, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE/V TOR ANDRE W E Wl/V TE RC ORN United States Patent 3,468,282 CONTINUOUS OPERATION MOTOR TILT CONTROL MECHANISM Andrew F. Wintercorn, 2449 Clinton Road, Rockford, Ill. 61103 Filed Oct. 9, 1967, Ser. No. 673,735 Int. Cl. B63h 5/06 US. Cl. 115-41 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This mechanism combines power operable hydraulic means for tilting an outborad motor to different angles in relation to the transom of a boat with means responsive to any change in the angle of elevation of the boat in relation to the surface of the water for causing the aforesaid motor tilt mechanism to function, whereby always to keep the outboard motor operating at the most favorable angle in relation to the transom of the boat. The invention, although illustrated as applied to an outboard motor, is applicable also to inboard-outboard drives. A pendulum operated switch functions to decrease the motor angle when necessary or increase it under the reverse conditions, and includes a contact arm substantially at right angles to the pendulum to engage one or the other of two vertically spaced contacts above and below the arm that are connected in circuit with solenoids of relays that control electrical connection between a pump drive motor and a battery to set the electric motor into operation each time the outboard motor requires a change in its angle. A valve controlling the delivery of fluid from the pump to either end of cylinders in which pistons operate that are connected with the outboard motor to raise or lower it relative to the stern of the boat, is shifted by electrical control one way or the other in accordance with which relay is energized. A manually operable switch is so connectible with the relays and valve operating solenoids to enable manually tilting the motor to an extreme raised position and returning it again independently of the pendulum operated switch.

My inention relates to a continuously operating outboard motor tilt control mechanism designed to maintain propeller thrust angle at or quite near the most efiicient one at all times regardless of hull design and changes in engine speed and/or load distribution, with a view to obtaining overall smoother performance and best economy.

Outboard motors (and in some instances stern-drive inboard units) have shaft housing adjustments which allow changing of shaft angles to a selected number of fixed positions. Unfortunately, boat loads and/or boat operator knowledge are not usually such as to permit a truly optimum or even near optimum matching of shaft angle to boat load and inherent hull performance characteristics. As a result, boat trim angle is frequently adversely affected by the selected shaft angle and therefore total boat performance suffers. While a boats hull shape will probably affect its trim angle more than the angle of propeller thrust, there is no doubt that thrust angle is very important. This is especially true in outboard-powered craft Where shaft angles, and thus thrust angles, are adjustable to a significant degree. Furthermore, outboard motorboats are seldom planned for a given specific engine and this provides for an even greater range of variables in weight distribution, propeller size, and power output.

An outboard motorboat which has the motor inclined too far forward, so that it is almost parallel with the transom, is prone to assuming a trim angle with the bow forced downwardly due to the wrong propeller thrust angle. A great increase in wetted surface results and the boat virtually plows the water, creating increased resistance, plus a very wet ride.

If the motor is slanted away from the transom so that its propeller thrust angle is upward from parallel to the static waterline of the boat, there is a strong tendency for the boats stem to behave as a pivot point about which the boat will rotate with the bow generally riding quite high. This shortens the wetted surface area and also reduces the available bottom surface upon which water pressure can be exerted to create desirable lifting forces. Therefore, the balance point becomes critical as boat weight and load may be distributed so as to alternately move forward or aft of this apparent fulcrum which is near the stern. With minor power surges, wave action, or slight shifting of passenger loads, a porpoising action takes place as the center of gravity moves alternately ahead or behind the center of pressure on the loaded planing surface. Since the thrust angle has been fixed to keep the bow in a high position, the boat never can assume a trim angle which would produce a longer surface for planing pressure to balance upon in compensation for boat loads. Furthermore, at severely high planing attitudes, it is seldom that a boat will actually reach a true plane where water is passed beneath the hull, exiting at the stern beneath the transom to create dynamic lift. Instead, there is a tendency for the boat to push up a bow wave and to move water in a somewhat transverse direction so that the resultant rush of the wave system to close in around the boats stern adds a large following Wave. The loss of boat performance increases in magnitude because with the loss of lift and true planing attitude comes an increase in propeller slippage where the propeller actually wastes its developed thrust in attempting to move the hull forward against strong resistance. When this occurs, the propeller virtually digs 'a hole in the water for the stern to settle into even farther.

It is apparent, then, that fixed adjustments of outboard motor angles is not the answer to the problem and that there is a need for a continuously operating tilt control mechanism capable of getting the correct instantaneous motor angle to meet continuously changing requirements.

The invention provides a plumb bob or pendulum operable switch or motor tender mounted in or on a boat to cause delivery of hydraulic pressure fluid automatically from a fluid pressure source to one end or the other of a cylinder or cylinders to increase or decrease the angle of the outboard motor relative to the transom of the boat, the delivery being automatically shut off when the boat reaches a desired trim angle where the best all around performance is obtained both for economy of motor operation (maximum thrust with least gasoline consumption) and smooth even keel performance of the boat. Realizing that for different motors and different hull designs a slightly different motor angle in relation to the norm or vertical established with the pendulum is necessary, I have added a finely adjustable screw enabling minutely changing the angular relationship to the pendulum of the contact arm operable between the two terminals that determine whether the angle of the outboard motor relative to the transom is to be increased or decreased. Realizing also that the pendulum will require shock absorbing or damping action I have pro vided it in a fluid filled dashpot, and I realize also that the amount of lag in the response of the pendulum switch to the need for a change of motor angle may require fine adjustment and I may therefore provide for manual regulation by adjustable dashpot means of the freedom of movement of the pendulum.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying draw ings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the stern portion of a boat with an outboard motor mounted in the transom and having hydraulically operable tilting mechanism with automatic trim control mechanism provided in connection therewith in accordance with my invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the fine screw threaded adjustment for changing the angularity of the contact arm relative to the pendulum to suit different requirements for different engines and different boats;

FIG. 3 is a combination hydraulic and electrical circuit diagram of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional detail on the line 44 of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of a modified or alternative manually adjustable dash-pot mechanism for regulating the amount of lag in the response of the pendulu-m switch to the need for a change of motor angle.

Similar reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 4, the outboard motor indicated generally by the reference numeral 6 is of a conventional type including a supporting bracket 7 with the usual clamping means for application thereof to the transom 8 on the stern of a boat 9, this bracket being provided with a horizontal pivot pin 10 with respect to which the motor has its vertical standard 11 tiltable to difierent angular relationship to the transom 8. In the conventional outboard motor there is usually an adjustable stop provided on the supporting bracket 7 to limit forward swing of the motor, and the operator can set this stop to suit the requirements of the particular boat on which the motor is mounted, according to the angle of the transom with respect to the vertical, and, of course, the engine is swingable about a vertical axis on this standard 11 by means of the tiller (not shown) to steer the boat by angling the rudder 12 and directing the thrust of the propeller 13 accordingly with respect to the stern of the boat. The power operable tilting mechanism indicated generally by the reference numeral 14 involves the addition of a bracket 15 rigidly secured to the standard 11 by U-bolts 16, and another bracket 17 mounted on the transom of the boat either by fastening directly to the transom or by connection with the motor supporting bracket 7 as indicated by the upward extension 18 on the middle of the bracket 17, the upper end of which is pinned or otherwise suitably secured to the lower end of the 'bracket, as indicated at 19, plus a pair of hydraulic cylinders 20 disposed on opposite sides of the standard 11 and pivotally connected at their lower ends by shear pins 21 to the opposite ends of the transom bracket 17, and having pistons 22 reciprocable therein, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected as at 23 to the outer ends of outwardly and rearwardly reaching arms 24- provided on the opposite ends of the engine bracket 15. Obviously, when oil or other liquid is delivered under pressure to the lower ends of the cylinders 20 through a. tube 25 and interconnecting tube 26 while oil or other liquid is at the same time being discharged from the upper end of these cylinders through a tube 27 and interconnecting tube 28, the engine is pushed upwardly, and, when the operation is reversed, the oil being supplied through tube 27 and discharged through tube 25, the engine is pulled down again. Of course, the engine is held in any adjusted position when the flow of oil or other liquid is stopped, and in that way it is possible to trim the boat nicely, securing by adjustment one way or the other the precise angle of the motor with respect to the transom that will make the 'boat plane properly regardless of change of speed or any change of weight distribution, which might otherwise throw the motor con siderably off angle, resulting in poor performance all around. The rigid tieup of the motor with the transom resulting from the application of the tilting mechanism is never disadvantageous, not even in the event of the rudder striking a submerged log or other obstruction, because, if and when that occurs when the boat is trav cling at a moderately high speed, the pins 21 will shear, allowing the motor to swing upwardly to clear the obstruction in the same way as with a conventional outboard motor.

In FIG. 3, I have shown an electric motor 29, the armature shaft of which is drivingly connected with a pump 30 having suction pipe 31 extending into the sump 32 and having a discharge pipe 33 connected to the twoway valve 34, the pipe 33 including a check valve 35, which seats automatically toward the pump 30 to prevent back flow when the pump stops. The tubes 25 and 27 previously mentioned are connected with the valve 34 in the manner shown and the direction of flow of the oil or other liquid through these tubes depends upon the position of the plunger 36. When this plunger is in one extreme position, the fluid is discharged through tube 25 and returned through tube 27, and vice versa in the other extreme position. The fluid returned to the valve 34 is conducted through pipes 37 back to the sump 32. The plunger 36 of the valve 34 is, in accordance with my invention, adapted to be shifted in response to the oscillation of a pendulum or plumb bob 38 that is mounted for oscillation in or on the boat 9 in a substantially vertical plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal vertical plane of the boat. This pendulum, when in a normal mid or vertical position, as seen in FIG. 3, holds its associated contact arm 39 in a horizontal position, or substantially so, between but out of contact with vertically spaced contacts 40 and 41 mounted in insulated relationship to one another in the opposed arms of a U-shaped yoke 42 provided on one end of a supporting bracket 43 adapted to be clamped, as shown in FIG. 1 at 44, onto the transom 8 at any convenient location. Thus, assuming, for example, there is a redistribution of weight in the boat by reason of a passenger going from the stern to the bow, causing pendulum 38 to shift forward to the dotted line position seen in FIG. 3, bringing contact arm 39 into engagement with contact 40, solenoid coils 45 and 46 are ener gized, closing the relay 47 to start the motor 29 to drive pump 30, and, at the same time, shifting the valve plunger 36 upwardly for delivery of fluid through tube 27 to the upper ends of cylinders 20 and discharge of fluid from their lower ends through tube 25, decreasing the angle of the motor in relation to the transom or trimming the motor, so that the boat planes properly with the propeller at a new angle that is best for all around good performance and economy in the use of fuel. On the other hand, assuming that a passenger moves from the bow to the stern, causing contact arm 39 to engage contact 41, under those conditions solenoids 48 and 49 are energized, closing the relay switch 5010 start the motor 29 to drive the pump 30, at the same time shifting valve plunger 36 downwardly for delivery of fluid through tube 25 to the lower ends of the cylinders 20 and discharge of fluid from their upper ends through tube 27. When each adjustment of the motor angle is completed, the arm 39 moves away from the contact 40 or 41 to stop the motor 29 and pump 30, leaving the motor 6 in its new position until the next adjustment is called for by the shifting of pendulum 38. Contacts 40 and 41 are indicated as screw threadedly adjustable with respect to the yoke 42 toward and away from the opposite sides of the contact arm 39 so as to make the automatic operation more sensitive or less sensitive to the need for trimming of the motor 6, as desired.

Realizing that for different hull designs a slightly different motor angle, in relation to the norm or vertical established with the pendulum 38, is necessary, I have added a manually adjustable screw 51 for changing the angular relationship between the pendulum 38 and the contact arm 39, the screw 51 being mounted for rotation in hearings in a yoke 52 and held thereby against endwise movement relative to the yoke while meshing with a pinion 53 fixed, as shown by screws 54, to a hub 55 provided on one end of the contact arm 39 in rigid but adjustable coaxial relationship to the pivot shaft 56 for the pendulum 38. Obviously, since the yoke 52 is fixed with respect to the pivot shaft 56, as indicated at 57, a turn or so of the handle 58 on the screw in one direction or the other increases or decreases the angle of contact arm 39 to pendulum 38, and thereby determines what the ultimate motor angle will be in relation to the pendulum 38 after an automatic adjustment occurs. This enables one to get the maximum performance out of any given outboard motor on any given boat, and, of course, once the best adjustment is obtained, it is advisable to lock the adjusting screw 51 with respect to the yoke 52, as by means of a lock nut 59 threaded on the stem 60 next to the handle 58.

Realizing, also, that the pendulum 38 will require shock absorbing or damping action, I have mounted it in a fluid filled segmental shaped dash-pot 61 rigid with the bracket 43 and providing a suitable mounting in the upper end thereof for the shaft 56 onto which the upper hub end 62 of the pendulum is suitably secured, as at 63. The liquid 64 in the dash-pot will resist oscillation of the pendulum enough to avoid having it swing too freely and respond before it should. In other words, a slight amount of lag is desirable in the response of the pendulum switch to the need for a change of motor angle.

In FIG. 5 I have shown a modified or alternative construction in which the pendulum 38, pivoted at 56 on the supporting bracket 43', and adjustably connected with the contact arm 39', similarly as in FIG. 3, for cooperation with adjustable contacts 40 and 41', in a similar way, relies for its resistance to oscillation on the reciprocation of the piston 65 working in a cylinder 66 that is oscillatable relative to the support 43' at 67. The piston is pivotally connected by the outer end of its rod to one side of the pendulum 38 at 68, and works against the resistance to flow of the air (or other fluid) provided in the cylinder 66 as the air (or other fluid) flows back and forth through a restricted passage 69 interconnecting the opposite ends of the cylinder. The flow of the air (or other fluid) may be regulated by a manually adjustable needle valve 70 so as to obtain the desired amount of lag in the response of the pendulum switch to the need for a change of motor angle, and once the right amount of lag is determined, a lock nut 71 threaded on the needle valve may be tightened against one end of the cylinder 66 to maintain the adjustment.

In operation, a unit indicated at 72 in FIG. 1 housing the motor 29, pump 30, sump 32 and valve 34, together with relays 47 and 50, respectively, to permit manually from the outboard motor 6 so that it does not require very long flexible hoses for the connections 25 and 27 nor very long electrical connections to the pendulum switch 38 or 38. The manual control switch 73 shown in FIG. 3 is normally connected to terminal a as indicated in dotted lines and is connected with the battery 74 and is connectible with either of the terminals b and 0 associated with relays 47 and 40, respectively, to permit manually controlled tilting of the motor 6 independently of the pendulum switch 38 or 38', as when the motor is to be raised out of the water between trips with the boat, or when the motor is to be transported with the boat and should occupy an extreme raised position for safety in transit. This switch 73 may be provided in the vicinity of the steering wheel or at any other suitable location on the boat. The operation, it is believed, is otherwise clear from the foregoing description.

In conclusion, while I have illustrated and described the invention as applied to outboard motors, the invention is not limited to that application but may be used with inboard-outboard drives equally well, the application to the tiltable propeller housing of Wanzer 2,755,766 being at once apparent from the foregoing.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, this is only for the purpose of illustration, and it is to be understood that various modifications in structure will occur to a person skilled in this art.

I claim:

1. In combination, a substantially vertical support on the transom of a boat the hull of which is continuously operable resting in the water, said support being tiltable relative to the transom of the boat and its longitudinal center line about a substantially horizontal transverse axis on said transom support in response to changes in boat and motor speed and/or shift in load relative to the longitudinal center line of the boat and carrying a power operable propeller at its lower end, power operable means for tilting said propeller support relative to said transom support, a level indicator carried on said boat, and means electrically connected on the one hand with said power operable tilting means and electrically connected on the other hand with said level indicator and responsive to a shift thereof relative to the boat by reason of a change in the angle of elevation of the boat in relation to the surface of the water for causing said power operable means to operate to tilt said propeller support relative to the transom in agreement with the shift in position of said level indicator so as to maintain the propeller axis substantially horizontal.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein the level indicator comprises a pendulum swingable in a substantially vertical plane parallel to the plane of tilting of said propeller support and a contact arm oscillatable therewith between two spaced contacts, either of which when engaged by said arm in response to a shift of said level indicator relative to the boat by reason of a change in the angle of elevation of the boat in relation to the surface of the water sets the power operable means into operation to tilt said propeller support in one direction when one contact is engaged and in the opposite direction when the other contact is engaged.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2, wherein said contacts are adjustable toward and away from one another and relative to opposite sides of said contact arm.

4. The combination set forth in claim 2, wherein said contact arm is adjustable as to angularity with respect to said level indicator.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1, including a manually operable switch electrically connected with the same source of electric current supply with said last named means and electrically connected with said power operable means to tilt said propeller support in one direction or the other relative to said stern support independently of said level indicator.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said level indicator comprises a pendulum swingable about a substantially horizontal axis relative to a support carried on said boat to swing in a plane parallel to the plane of tilting of said propeller support, the combination including dash-pot means for resisting oscillation of said pendulum.

7. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said level indicator comprises a pendulum swingable about a substantially horizontal axis relative to a support carried on said boat to swing in a plane parallel to the plane of tilting of said propeller support, the combination including dash-pot means for resisting oscillation of said pendulum, and manually adjustable means for varying the resistance afforded by said dash-pot means.

8. In combination, a substantially vertical support on the transom of a boat the hull of which is continuously operable resting in the water, a substantially vertically disposed outboard motor tiltable relative to the transom of the boat and its longitudinal center line about a substantially horizontal transverse axis on said transom support in response to changes in boat and motor speed and/ or shift in load relative to the longitudinal center line of the boat and carrying a propeller at its lower end, power operable means for tilting said outboard motor relative to said transom support, a level indicator carried on said boat, and means electrically connected on the one hand with said power operable tilting means and electrically connected on the other hand with said level indicator and responsive to a shift thereof relative to the boat by reason of a change in the angle of elevation of the boat in relation to the surface of the water for causing said power operable means to tilt said outboard motor relative to said transom in agreement with the shift in position of said level indicator so as to maintain the propeller axis substantially horizontal.

9. The combination set forth in claim 8, wherein the level indicator comprises a pendulum swingable in a substantially vertical plane parallel to the plane of tilting of said outboard motor and a contact arm oscillatable therewith between two spaced contacts, either of which when engaged by said arm in response to a shift of said level indicator relative to the boat by reason of a change in the angle of elevation of the boat in relation to the surface of the water sets the power operable means into operation to tilt said outboard motor in one direction when one contact is engaged and in the opposite direction when the other contact is engaged.

10. The combination set forth in claim 9, wherein said contacts are adjustable toward and away from one another and relative to opposite sides of said contact arm.

11. The combination set forth in claim 9, wherein said contact arm is adjustable as to angularity with respect to said level indicator.

12. The combination set forth in claim 8, including a manually operable switch electrically connected with the same source of electric current supply with said last named means and electrically connected with said power operable means to tilt said outboard motor in one direction or the other relative to said stern support independently of said level indicator.

13. The combination set forth in claim 8, wherein said level indicator comprises a pendulum swingable about a substantially horizontal axis relative to a support carried on said boat to swing in a plane parallel to the plane of tilting of said outboard motor, the combination including dash-pot means for resisting oscillation of said pendulum.

14. The combination set forth in claim 8, wherein said level indicator comprises a pendulum swingable about a substantially horizontal axis relative to a support carried on said boat to swing in a plane parallel to the plane of tilting of said outboard motor, the combination including dash-pot means for resisting oscillation of said pendulum, and manually adjustable means for varying the resistance afforded by said dash-pot means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,625,347 1/1953 Froling 244-56 2,755,766 7/1956 Wanzer 11535 2,942,807 6/ 1960 Gallagher 244- 3,191,567 6/1965 Ask 11466.5 3,191,573 6/1965 Hixon 115-41 3,3 06,246 2/1967 Reder 11466.5

TYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

